who we are and what we do
cannabis business times is owned by GIE Media, based in Valley View, Ohio. CBT‘s mission is to provide actionable information on all aspects of business, from legal, regulatory and compliance news to analysis of industry trends, by providing expert advice on cultivation, marketing and financial topics. Accelerating the success of legal cannabis growers. legal issues, etc.
CBT It is strictly focused on the legal medical and recreational cannabis business and aims to provide timely information through its website, e-newsletter, mobile app, print magazine and annual conference. , helps readers make informed decisions in a timely manner. Make their business better and more profitable. 2018, cannabis business times was named Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Chris Foster
Representative Director and President
Chris Foster rejoined GIE Media in May 2005 as President and COO. For nine years, he held a senior position as Vice President of Technology and Product Development at InsightExpress LLC, the world’s largest online market research firm, before working at Attachmate Corporation, which operates global network technology, before practicing. Prior to that, Chris was at GIE Media, where he joined GIE Media right out of college and has held various roles from Controller to General Manager. He holds a degree in International Business Management and International Marketing from Heidelberg, Germany.
Jim Gilbride
group issuer
Jim Gilbride has nearly 20 years of experience in the events and media industry. As the group publisher of GIE Media’s Cannabis Media Group, Jim oversaw the acquisition of his website for Cannabis Business Times in 2015, then launched the print magazine later that same year. CBT was named Magazine of the Year in 2018 by the Associate of Business Publication Editors. Jim oversaw his 2017 launch of the Cannabis Conference, the group’s industry-leading event. around business.
jgilbride@gie.net / 216-393-0245
Noel Skozinski
editorial director
Noelle Skodzinski has over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She co-founded her Cannabis Business Times in 2014 with her former owner, Tim Hermes. She was named one of the top 50 most influential women in cannabis. In 2012, she founded her mediaShepherd, her website that provides actionable information for media professionals, and served as president and editorial director. Prior to that, she was the editorial director of North American Publishing Co’s She Publishing Group. In that role, she oversaw her Publishing Executive and Book Business magazine and all related digital products, including the daily newsletter, and served as the annual director. Publishing Business Conference, Publishing Business Virtual Conference and all webinars. Skodzinski has previously served as Editor of The Crafts Report magazine, Editor-in-Chief of Inside Direct Mail, Senior Writer of Target Marketing, Interim Editor-in-Chief of The Jewish Exponent, and more. In 2018 and in 2020, Skodzinski was named one of the top women in media by Folio.
nskodzinski@gie.net / 856-979-2081
Michelle Simakis
Editor-in-chief
Michelle Simakis has been with GIE Media since 2012 and was promoted to editor of Garden Center magazine in 2015. Most recently, she has published an engaging, must-read newsletter for the marketplace and held educational conferences for key decision makers with the help of an advisory board that includes some of the industry’s most influential leaders. bottom. Her experience and her knowledge of her will guide her leadership at the Cannabis Business Times and her Cannabis Dispensary.
msimakis@gie.net / 216-393-0275
Eric Sandy
digital editor
Eric Sandy joined GIE Media Inc. in January 2018 as Digital Editor for Cannabis Business Times. He previously worked as editor-in-chief and staff writer for Cleveland Scene, covering criminal justice and environmental issues. Sandy is a graduate of the Ohio University He EW Scripps School of Journalism (2010) and a Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program at Cleveland State University (2022).
esandy@gie.net / 216-393-0329
Patrick Williams
Editor-in-chief
Patrick Williams joined GIE Media in 2017 as associate and senior editor for sister publications Greenhouse Management and Produce Grower. In 2020 he started working at Cannabis Business Times as Senior Editor and in 2022 he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of CBT. Previously he was a freelance writer for B2B and consumer media. Williams graduated from Kent State University in 2015 with a BA in Journalism.
pwilliams@gie.net
Zach Menz
senior editor
Zach Mentz joined GIE Media in May 2021 as senior editor for the Cannabis Business Times (CBT). He previously worked as editor-in-chief of North Coast Media, Cleveland Indians’ Social Media, where he worked as an assistant. Mentz graduated from John Carroll University’s He Tim Russert Department of Communication.
zmentz@gie.net / 216-393-0237
Melissa Schiller
Senior Digital Editor
Melissa Schiller joined the Cannabis Business Times team in June 2017 as an Assistant Editor. Previously, she worked for GIE Media’s Decoration Group publication Audience She Development, where she worked as an Associate, Cannabis Business Times, Garden Center, Nursery Management, and Greenhouse Management magazines. She has also worked as a contributing writer and editorial assistant for community newspapers and she has also worked as a freelance writer for Northeast Ohio Media Group and Modern Tire Dealer. Schiller graduated from Hiram Her College with a BA in Creative Writing.
mschiller@gie.net / 216-393-0237
Tony Lange
Collaborator
Tony Lange joined GIE Media in January 2021 as Associate Editor of Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary and Hemp Grower. He has been in the weekly newspaper business for the last ten years, primarily contributing to his Chagrin Valley Times as a beat his reporter and sports editor. He is a photographer and page designer. Prior to that, he served in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC, where he served as an Assistant to the Staff of Congressmen, drafting responses to constituent documents and assisting the Director of Communications. Lange graduated from Kent State University with a BA in Journalism.
alange@gie.net / 216-393-0234
Andriana Russit
Collaborator
Andriana Ruscitto joined GIE Media in January 2021 as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary and Hemp Grower. In early 2022, she was promoted to associate editor of her Cannabis Business Times. Prior to joining GIE, Ruscitto attended Kent State University, where she worked in the university’s communications and marketing department as an editor for Kent State Today. Ruscitto graduated from Kent State University in December 2020, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and a Minor in Marketing.
aruscitto@gie.net
Scott Anthony
sales director
Scott Anthony joined GIE Media in 2013 as Regional Account Manager for the Ornamental Group. This group includes Nursery Management, Greenhouse Management, Produce Grower, and Garden Center magazines. In 2014, he was promoted to Account Manager for Nursery Management magazine, responsible for driving sales and increasing market share for industry-leading brands. In May 2015, Scott acquired the newly acquired cannabis business, where he was promoted to his manager of The Times brand accounts and has been instrumental in CBT’s rapid growth, including the launch of CBT’s print magazine. In 2018, Scott was promoted to National Sales Manager for the Cannabis and Hemp divisions and continues to lead teams to drive revenue for these brands. In 2021, he was promoted to Sales Manager. Scott is also responsible for overseeing the Cannabis Conference and Hemp Grower Conference exhibition and sponsorship sales.
santhony@gie.net / 216-393-0219
Craig Thorne
Senior Account Manager
Craig Thorne joined GIE Media in 2015 as Account Manager for Golf Course Industry Magazine. In 2018, he was promoted to Account Manager for his Cannabis Business Times & Cannabis Dispensary Magazine, responsible for promoting industry-leading brands and increasing market share.
chorne@gie.net / 216-393-0232
Thomas Vidmar
account manager
Thomas Vidmar joined GIE Media in 2021, handling classified advertising for all publications in 17 different markets. He was soon promoted to the role of account manager for hemp growers and cannabis dispensaries, responsible for driving sales and revenue for both of these market-leading brands.Before transitioning to GIE , Thomas has extensive experience as a Computing Supervisor at Best Buy, with over seven years of strong experience in that role.
tvidmar@gie.net
Thomas Dimassa
account manager
Thomas DiMassa joined GIE Media in January 2022 as Account Manager for Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Conference. He is responsible for growing market share and driving sales for both market-leading brands. Prior to joining GIE, Thomas worked as a project coordinator for the land acquisition team of Atwell, LLC.
tdimassa@gie.net / 216-393-0369
Michaela Dodrill
Market coordinator
Michaela Dodrill helps organize logistics and outreach for the Cannabis Conference, an annual event held in Las Vegas.
mdodrill@gie.net / 216-393-0336
Jim Blaney
creative director
Jim Blayney joined GIE Media in 2005. As his current creative director, Blayney has overseen his visual designs for Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, Waste Today, Recycling Today, and Golf Course Industry.
jblayney@gie.net / 216-393-0226
Kaitlyn Mullen
art director
Katelyn Mullen joined GIE Media in 2015. Current Art In her director role, Boyden designs and lays out issues of her Cannabis Business Times and Construction & Demolition Recycling. She graduated from Ohio University.
kboyden@gie.net / 216-393-0312
Christina Warner
Audience Development Director
Christina Warner was hired by GIE Media in 2004 to become Market Coordinator for the Lawn and Landscape Media Group. In 2006, she was asked to become a team member of her GIE Media web group, where she managed many aspects of online advertising. Since then, she has held many roles within her web group, including her editor of web content and her email production manager. She was promoted to Audience Her Development Director in 2014 and now oversees all operations for that department.
cwarner@gie.net / 216-393-0292
Editorial Advisory Board
Clade9 Founder and CEO David Holmes said:
Dr. Raymond Cloyd, Professor/Entomology Specialist, Kansas State University
Rich Kwesell, Co-Founder/Co-Owner of Strawberry Fields
Kenneth “K” Morrow, founder of Trihome Technologies
Crystal Oliver, Co-Owner/Co-Founder, Washington’s Finest Cannabis
Markus Roggen, Founder of Complex Biotech Discovery Ventures
Brian E. Jackson, Associate Professor of Horticulture, North Carolina State University
Brian Whipker, Professor of Plant Science, North Carolina State University
